Protecting Innocence
by Katrynne
Summary: A Yu Yu Hakusho Story that is pretty much Ayame's life and a prequel to Teatarishidai ni Hakusho! Enjoy! Rated T for teen lol, language !
1. Chapter 1

I stood in the corner of the room as that fat ningen brought in two new yokai to terrorize the only thing I found precious.  
Yukina.  
_That girl... she's so innocent. Maybe that's why I need to protect her, because my innocence was taken by wars and fighting. The birds brought me here. They knew she needed help; they brought a jewel-like tear and a small lock of beautiful blue hair._  
I followed them the next day. It was easy to get into the place; I just had to make a quick lie.

~Flashback~  
"What are you doing here?!" the fat ningen demanded.  
"The man who raised me said you needed something to protect something important. That you needed something strong. I am a powerful yokai. Nothing can get through my impenetrable defence."I stated, emotionlessly.  
_I needed him to believe me._  
"You can test me if you wish."  
And he did.  
He put me in a small room with a big homemade demon thing. It was more of a mutation that a demon, it had a reiki, not a yoki, that's how I knew. It pounded at my shield, but it couldn't get through. This made the fat ningen greedy. He wanted me. So I said I'd work for him. But the stupid, fat ningen made a ridiculous mistake. He brought me straight to what I was looking for. The small, innocent ice apparition. As soon as I got into her room, I just stood in the corner. I watched her.  
One day the fat ningen came in and yelled at her, he tried to throw a seal on her. As soon as I saw the pain it caused her, I ripped it off, and put up my powerful sand barrier around her, protecting her.  
"Stupid monster! How dare you!" the ningen shouted.  
"I came here to protect this girl, from you."I stated.  
He growled and left. As soon as I heard the door lock, I brought down the shield and looked at her carefully, making sure not to make eye contact. I was impure; I had lots of blood on my hands.  
_What_ _if some of that rubbed off on her?__  
_"Are you okay miss?" She asked. I was shocked; she was concerned about me, when she was the one who was going through pain.  
"I'm... okay..."I mumbled, "What about you?"I questioned, still refusing to make eye contact. She lifted my head and forced me to.  
"Thank you. I am okay now, thank you for, protecting me."  
~Flashback end~

I immediately put my sand shield around her and glared hostilely at the two new yokai. I dissolved myself into sand and reappeared on top of the shield.  
"Move, onna." the large, muscular yokai commanded, I just glared, made no motion to move, or reply.  
"Hehehehehe... This onna has good eyes, brother." the small, creepy looking thing on the larger one said.  
Suddenly I started to dissolve into my shield. Soon I was inside.  
"Ayame-chan, what's going on?" Yukina asked, scared a little.  
"Nothing. Just more annoyances." I stated.  
Suddenly painful, squeak-like shrieks were heard from outside.  
The birds.  
"Ayame-chan! Let me out! My birds! They'll be hurt! I need to protect them!" Yukina shouted, just as terrified as she was horrified.  
"But, you...They could hurt you Yukina-san..."I said. In the end I knew I'd let her out. I could never say no to this girl, even if it would hurt her in the long run.  
"Please! Ayame-chan!" she pleaded, tears coming to her eyes. I glared at my wall, and a rumble was heard from the other side.  
_They're trying to break through my shield. Fools.__  
_I sighed, and complied. I grabbed her and jumped off to the side as I let my shield dissolve. It followed behind us, and a fist came crashing into where we were.  
_Is it just me, or does he looks like he's on a serious dose of steroids now? His muscles are definitely larger than before...__  
_"So you finally joined us... hehehehe..." the small... thing... asked. In his extremely long fingers were two small birds that Yukina had been talking with before.  
Yukina managed to keep her look almost as passive as mine. But as soon as he crushed the birds a little bit more she screamed at him to stop.  
He crushed them.  
Yukina screamed as if she had been crushed herself. Tears streaked her face, turning to beautiful stones before they hit the ground.  
I glared at the brother. Not for the birds. It's harsh, but I could care less. But for Yukina. I took a step forward, ready to destroy these fools that made my precious person cry. But she grabbed my sleeve, still sobbing. In a fluent motion I was kneeling next to her, holding her sobbing form.  
_I'll find a way to make them pay.__  
_"You should learn to be more obedient, onna. Then things like this won't happen anymore." the huge yokai wasn't so huge anymore, his muscles had definitely shrunk.  
_He can manipulate his muscles, probably...__  
_They left the room and I held Yukina as she sobbed. She looked at me, tears running down her face.  
_Thank the Gods, she is hurt, but the innocence is still there. She didn't have it taken from her this time.__  
_There was more 'Clack Clack's as the jewel-tears hit the floor. I knew the fat ningen would come to collect soon.  
_That stupid ningen would be dead by now, if Yukina-san hadn't request I not kill him.__  
_After a while she fell asleep, and I moved her away from the jewel-tears.  
_That fat ningen doesn't deserve to be anywhere near this innocent creature. Neither do I. Corrupt as I am. But I will protect her. As soon as I know she is safe, I will just watch from a distance. Beings such as myself shouldn't be around something so pure... We will corrupt them.__  
_I sighed. A few hours later the fat ningen came in with his personal, new, favorite, body-guards.  
"Haha! Stupid monster! See that? Toguro broke right through your little sheild! You're nothing great!" he mocked. I smirked, and my higher, soft, luring, manipulative voice rang out.  
"He did no such thing. Yukina-san request I let her aid her friends, or attempt to, and I complied. He didn't even so much as dent my impenetrable defense." I stated. This earned a glare from the ningen.  
"You lie! Don't try to-"  
"Actually, I think she's correct." this 'Toguro' said, "I did not feel the shield weaken before it disappeared, and rather than shattering, it just dissolved into another form."  
This caught the ningen by surprise.  
_I get the idea that this Toguro is a man of little words.__  
_"Let's hurry; I want to watch the stupid children get slaughtered." The fat ningen muttered, sulking.

Somehow the ningen had talked Yukina into requesting I stay calm, and of course, because she asked, I did.  
I walked gracefully and protectively behind her, and kept a cautious eye on the two other yokai and the ningen. Soon the two Yokai left, and it was just Yukina, myself, and the fat ningen.  
_Why won't she let me kill him? Probably because of her innocence. She would feel guilty, knowing that I would have stopped if she told me to.__  
_No words were spoken, but Yukina seemed to focus very hard on something. Soon we reached a room that looked down on a stadium like room. The yokai brothers stood in the middle, and two ningen teenagers walked in. It was obvious what was going to happen so I walked away from the window and stood against the wall. My short blond hair with shoulder length bangs shifted as I moved into a more comfortable leaning possession. My blond kitsune ears twitched, listening to the fight below, and my blond kitsune tail swished from side to side, wishing it was myself down there, destroying the two yokai brothers that I had come to loath from the moment I met them. My crimson red eyes watched the fat ningen carefully; being sure he got no closer to Yukina. After a few minutes I could sense two new presences. Both were strong, one was angry, the other trying to hide itself. I shifted uneasily. I wouldn't have been able to sense the one trying to remain hidden, but one thing allowed me to.  
It was of my breed.  
Another kitsune.  
I decided that was a very appropriate time to take my leave, the two new players could take on the yokai if they teamed them, and the ningen was child's play. I knew Yukina would get out of here okay.  
"Yukina, you will be freed from here by the end of the hour," she looked over at me, shocked, "So I am taking my leave." the ningen was too engrossed in the fight to notice my words.  
"But, Ayame-san! Won't you come with me? You can! It's okay! I don't want you to leave!" she said, the pain in her eyes hurt me deeply, knowing that I was the one causing it, "You can come with me." she whispered.  
"No." I said, "I can't. Good Bye, Yukina-san."I dissolved into sand and easily slipped out of the mansion. I found a small hole into the Makai, and I easily got through the barrier.  
_This barrier was put in place to block out A and S class demons... But not sand, or any other element. I, at S class, can get through with ease in this form, although I doubt I would be able to in my solid form.__  
_I finally entered the Makai and quickly teleported to my home, through sand. I entered a small, warm cave. In the centre was a small pool of clear, frozen water. Even in the warm temperatures the water never melted. I took a step towards it and looked at it. The smooth surface began to project images, like a screen.  
I saw a short, yokai, with spiky black hair that had a white starburst on the front, and crimson eyes punching the fat ningen mercilessly. Yukina latched on to his arm and cried at him.  
_Probably asking him____ to __stop____._  
The short yokai gave one last punchthatthrew the ningen into the window, cracking it. Yukina looked out the window and her eyes widened. She left the room and went down into the arena area. She began to heal a hideous orange haired ningen, who began flirting shamelessly with her.  
_If I ever find that ningen, I will destroy him. So long as Yukina-san isn't there.__  
_I returned to the room with the shorter yokai. Now another yokai was there, although he was in the body of a ningen. He had red hair and emerald eyes. They were speaking and the red-head seemed to be aggravating the short yokai.  
_I wonder which is the kitsune...__  
_With my observatory pool I could see events that are currently occurring or that have occurred in the past, but I couldn't see the future or hear anything. I could tell the difference between a ningen and a yokai, but I was unable to see what kind of yokai they were.  
I zoomed out of the scene until there was nothing left to see. I went and sat against the side of the wall in the cave.  
I was once again alone. I once again had no reason to exist. Nothing to protect or hold dear.  
_Now what?_


	2. Chapter 2

After weeks of wandering, killing, and emptiness I arrived in a town. I went into a small tavern where many demons sat. I usually eavesdropped in on conversations to see who I could kill next, or who would be the one to finally end my existence.  
_That's the way it is, after all. My reason to live is to kill those weaker than me, as someone who is stronger than me must kill me.__  
_I knew this was just an excuse, but Yukina would be angry if she found out I killed myself. I, for some reason, couldn't find her on my observing pool. I knew she was in a place with powerful spiritual barriers, I assumed safe.  
_Ningen believe that when somebody precious to you is in danger, you can sense it. And that's with ningen. A yokai should be able to sense it all the more.__  
_"Yeah! I heard the spirit detective had a new pet!"  
_Spirit detective?__  
_"I heard it was his buddy, the other ningen, and it was a beautiful Ice Apparition.  
_Ice apparition... Yukina-san?__  
_"Yeah! Her name was Yuri or Yuki something." the yokai said, I was at his throat with a blade of sand attached to my arm.  
"Yukina." my cold, alluring, manipulative voice rang. "Her name is Yukina, isn't it?"  
"Uhhh yea! That was it! Yukina!" the yokai said, probably pissing himself. He went to pull away, and in my anger, I temporarily lost control. My yoki sky-rocketed. I was above S Class, after all. I quickly got it under check.  
"Where. Are. They. Holding. Her." the yokai was shaking in fear, and his partner had fallen off his chair.  
"Uh! At a temple place in the Ningenkai! Some old bag named Genkai owns the place! I-i-it's not very hard to find!" he shouted, I pushed my blade against his throat harder.  
"Of course you'll be a gentleman, and lead the way. Correct?" I asked, well, demanded.  
"Yea! Yea! We can take you there!" he said, still shaking in fear.  
"We?! You insane?! I'm outa' here!" his partner shouted. He was dead before he reached the door. Sand wrapped around him and crushed him.  
"Tch, Tch. That is what happens when you refuse a lady's request." I said. "Now. You will take me there, your payment can be I won't kill you." he nodded his head hastily, almost taking it off. I removed the blade and we found a hole in the time/space continuum. The yokai who was guiding me got through the barrier. He was probably around D class. I had to dissolve myself into sand again to get through. After walking for around a half day in the middle of nowhere we arrived. The demon ran off, back to the hole before it closed.  
_I sense four powerful beings. And one weak one with spiritual powers... stealth will work best.__  
_I dissolved and moved forward, I entered and the weakest one, the orange haired ningen, shuddered.  
"I have a bad feeling." He said. The others looked at him, but brushed it off, except the red-head, who seemed a little more on guard. Suddenly Yukina walked in, with tea in her hands.  
_Good, her innocence is still there...__  
_I waited a little bit longer and she still didn't leave.  
_Screw stealth.__  
_I quickly brought the sand particles together to form my short body. I stood shorter than the spiky haired yokai by about 2 inches, I was 5'4. They were all on guard quickly, but I still knocked them all back against the wall, but not Yukina, with a powerful blast of my S class yoki. The ningen boys were stunned and fell to the ground hard. The yokai, both of them, fell deep into their stances. And the elder ningen was also panting heavily. My sand swirled around my feel as I ran up to Yukina.  
"Ayame-chan!" she said happily, and then she looked at her captors and frowned. I looked curiously at her.  
_I think I'm missing something.__  
_"Yukina-san, are you okay? I heard from some dea- err- low class that you were being held captive by... 'Spirit detectives'? Whatever those are. As soon as I heard, I, uh, convinced, the low class to tell me where." I said worry laced in my usually harsh voice. It was never harsh with this girl. I stared straight into her eyes and sighed, thankfully. "Thank the Gods. The innocence is still there."  
Yukina laughed, it was restrained. She knew the low class was dead.  
_I killed him when he ran. He didn't fulfill the entire request. She knows though... And maybe what I've been doing for the last month.__  
_The black-haired ningen tried to attack me from behind, but I flicked my hand over my shoulder, as if brushing something off, and he went flying back into the wall.  
"Baka ningen! You dare try to hide Yukina-san from me? You ca-"  
"Uhm, Ayame-chan... Please stop getting ready to kill Yusuke-san." I froze, I always listen to Yukina. I will do anything to preserve the innocent look in her eyes.  
"Yukina-san?" I asked, tilting my head to the side slightly. My kitsune ears fell flatter to my head, as if I was being scolded. My tail swished slightly. The red head stared in shock and curiosity. I returned the curious part. I walked up to him.  
"So you're the kitsune... but you're in the body of a ningen...hmm..." I muttered, before turning on Yukina.  
"So I was in the right to uhm... you know, with that horrible lier." I stated.  
"Ayame-chan, you don't need to kill everybody you meet." Yukina said a sad look on her face.  
"I... know. I try. It isn't easy though, that was how I was raised. You know that. That's the very reason why I am so keen on protecting you. At a young age, I had my innocence ripped from me, and I was thrown into war, killing, and blood. I can't let you lose that too. That's also why I left..." My ears were flat to my head, and my tail hung sadly.  
"You still believe that you will corrupt me? That's nonsense. You're too nice for that." She smiled at me, and I softly smiled back.  
"Impossible." I muttered. My rage was calmed, Yukina seemed fine. I gave her a curious look.  
"Oh! These are my friends!" she said, flustered, "That's Kurama-san," she pointed at the red-head, "That's Yusuke-san. He's the Spirit Detective," the black haired ningen, "that is Genkai-san, and this is her home," the elder ningen, I bowed slightly, showing respect and being apologetic for intruding on her home, "that is Hiei-san," the short yokai with spiky black hair, "and that," she blushed, motioning at the unconscious red-head ningen on the ground. "Is Kuwabara-kun." I glared at the ningen on the floor slightly, although it probably looked hostile to the others.  
"Yukina-san, if that weak ningen tries to do anything to you, it will be... difficult, for me to restrain myself. He will end up dead." She hugged me slightly.  
"It's okay, Ayame-chan, calm down. Let's have some tea, okay?" she said soothingly.  
"Unfortunately, I have to go back. I can't stay with you, you know that. It could be dangerous for several reasons..." I was going to continue, but I saw tears begin to form in her crimson eyes. My crimson eyes panicked.  
_God, why do I always have to make her look like that?__  
_"No, Yukina-san," I moaned, begging her to stop, "Don't cry, please. We both know-"  
"I don't care! I want you to stay with me Ayame-chan!" She begged.  
"That's the one thing I can't comply to. I would die to protect you, and I-"  
"If you would die, then why not stay?" Yusuke asked. I glared. He wasn't being spoken to; Yukina grabbed my arm, probably to stop me from killing him.  
"It is none of your concern, ningen." I growled. He flinched at the harshness in my voice.  
_He is not Yukina, I don't have to be nice to him.__  
_"Amaya-chan, please." Yukina begged again. I looked away, my eyes pained to see her eyes pained.  
"Yukina-san," I said in the most soothing voice I could muster, I slowly pulled my arm out of her grasp. "You know I have to leave. I can't stay here. Do you know how much it would hurt me if-"  
"You hurt her?" Kurama said, he got a glare to, but it distracted me enough to allow Yukina to latch back onto my arm, "You're probably hurting her more by leaving than you ever could any other way." my glare darkened, and he flinched.  
"Shut up, Shut Up!" I shouted, another burst of yoki flew through the room, and even Yukina was thrown back, I looked at her with pained eyes, "I'm doing this to protect you! Don't you get it?!" I yelled, almost crying she tried to stand up, but fell.  
I hurt her badly.  
"See?! If I'm around you'll get hurt!"  
"No!" She shouted, "Remember back at the mansion? How you protected me from that ningen and those yokai and the seals? How you'd let me cry and you'd hold me and you'd shield me! You always protected me! I want to protect you!" I could feel somebody prying into my mind, any other day, I'd make them comatose, but I just let them wander, I didn't care.  
_Looks like I have to play the bad guy, again. That is what I really am, anyways.__  
_I scoffed at her, and tried to glare, it wasn't very harsh, but it will do.  
"I was just... Looking for entertainment." I stated, I managed not to have my voice waiver, and it remained cold. She gasped in pain, and she began to cry.  
_Dammit! Dammit! Don't cry! This is for you! Please! Don't make this harder!__  
_"Tch. She's lying. She wants you to hate her, so you won't be upset that she's leaving." I glared, an actual glare, at the lazy looking Hiei, he smirked at me.He flinched as I shoved him out of my mind.  
_Note to self, never ignore a prying mind.__  
_Yukina did another hiccupped sob and muttered.  
"That's just like you, Ayame-chan." my glare turned to a pained expression.  
"Yukina-san, please." I begged. My ears flat to my head, and my tail between my legs.  
"I want to protect you, Ayame-chan..." Yukina said, sadly, the tears stopped. I decided to find out from what, if I could eliminate the threat, she wouldn't have anything to protect me from.  
"From what? Yukina-san, we know I can beat any opponent, or next to any, and that I am very careful of what I eat and drink, if not an enemy, or health threat, then what can you protect me from." I asked.  
"You're past."  
I flinched.  
"You have such sad eyes, even when you're angry. I want to fix that. I want to make the sadness go away. Please... Ayame-chan, please." I sighed.  
"Okay. I'll stay, for a little while, but I'll probably wind up leaving..." Yukina sighed, pleased, and hugged me. I just stood there. My ears still flat and my tail still limp.  
_I will regret this._


	3. Chapter 3

Even a few days later I still felt awkward around these people. Yusuke, or Detective, as I called him, was constantly challenging me. Of course, I turned him down. Yukina would be upset if I killed one of her friends.  
"Come on Ayame-san! Just fight me! You don't even have to fight at full power!" he whined, again.  
I sighed.  
"No. Yukina-san does not want me to kill you, and if I fight you, that will go against her wishes directly." I replied, I sounded like a recording on some kind of machine, no emotion in my voice.  
Hiei was still trying to break into my mind. Thankfully, he had no chances of getting through my barrier. I refused to sleep in the unusual house, surrounded by these unusual beings.  
Despite it being the fifth day of no sleep at all, I didn't appear tired, not in the slightest. Once again, I sat up on the roof, staring at the stars.  
_Sure the Makai has stars, but they are usually blocked by a plant or a mountain or an opponent. And in the Makai, when would one be able to find time to let their guard down like this?__  
_"Ayame-san?" Kurama, the other kitsune, asked. I had avoided him from day one. I was abandoned as a young yokai, and adopted by lazy ningen who lived in the Makai, a few thousand years ago. Of course they're dead now.

~Flashback~  
"Wretched monster! This is your fault!" the ningen were covered in blood. Some yokai had come in and brought them all very close to death. "They came because you were here! After everything we've done for you! We gave you a house! And food! And water! You rotten yokai! I don't know what we were thinking!"  
_For somebody about to die, this ningen onna talks a lot.__  
_"Go, kill them. The ningen don't deserve to live!" the yokai commanded.  
"They don't?" I asked. He grinned insanely.  
"No! They deserve to die by your hand!"  
"Why?" My young voice questioned, sounding innocent, and curious. I sensed no danger. This yokai wasn't after my death. Just the ningen's.  
"Because, they have hidden you from what you are supposed to be!"  
"And that is?"  
"A Yokai! A slaughterer! A murderer!"  
"Is that... good?"  
"No!!!" The ningen onna screamed.  
"Yes." The yokai answered.  
"How...how do I do what I'm supposed to?" I asked. I had never killed or hurt anything before.  
"Hold your hand out, good like that, towards them, and open your fist. Good onna. Imagine sand around them. He did say she was a desert yokai... Yes! Perfect! Now, close your fist."  
Splat.  
Blood was everywhere, the ceiling, the floor, the walls, on me. The ningen were dead. My sand was still covering them.  
_I...don't like how that felt...__  
_I frowned.  
"Good, now come along. I will teach you more about yourself and your extraordinary strength." I followed the yokai outside. Soon we arrived at the place that housed me for the next couple decades. The place where I learned how to kill without caring, where it became as ordinary as eating or sleeping. The place that taught me how to be an assassin.  
~Flashback End~

_I was innocent until then..._  
"Ayame-san?" Kurama was sitting next to me. I hissed slightly, not only from shock, but also from anybody besides Yukina being in my personal space."Are you alright?"  
"I am fine. Why are you here?" I asked, scooting over so about a foot and a half was between us.  
"Because, I wanted to know why you are avoiding us, myself mainly." He answered.  
"Because. It is none of your concern."  
"Is it because I am Yoko? A kitsune as you are?"  
"Nonsense."  
"Why won't you tell me?"  
"Because, it does not matter. I will let Yukina believe I am fine, and then I shall leave this place."  
"You don't have to go, you know."  
"Why does that concern you?"  
"I would like to get to know you better or at least figure out why you hate me so much."  
"I never said I hated you."  
He looked at me shocked, I sighed.  
"You are correct; I avoid you because you are a kitsune. And because I am a kitsune. And because... I was abandoned by our kind." He looked appalled at this new information, but didn't interrupt.  
_Probably afraid I won't continue.__  
_"I apologize." I said, getting up.  
"You know, she's right."  
"What?"  
"Yukina-san, what she said, she's right. You have very sad eyes." My eyes widened and he stood and faced me, "Maybe we can all help you in some way. Excuse me." He left, and I just sat there, staring at the stars again.  
_Why is it he can see into my eyes like open doors? The traitorous eyes that lead them right into the center of my soul, where I always feel so much pain...__  
__"_I do not... understand these beings... Why? Why do they care?" I whispered.  
_No one has ever cared._


	4. Chapter 4

I had been here for around a month now; I had been getting more comfortable with the people here, which meant I definitely had to leave soon.  
_I'll leave tonight._ I thought, sitting on the roof, I still hadn't slept, not a wink. I was more comfortable, yes, but not trusting. Not like Yukina. _I'm sorry._ I thought as I disappeared.  
Around three days later I had returned to my cave from a raid. For Yukina's wishes, I was refraining from killing except when necessary. But I still missed her greatly. I missed something else. I wasn't quite sure what though.  
_It couldn't be those boys. Hiei hated me because I was closer to Yukina than she was, Detective was annoying as hell with those fighting matches he begged for, Kuwabara was noisy and annoying in general, and Kurama... well, he was just too curious._ I thought to myself trying to figure it out. I went to the calm pond in the middle of my cave and looked into the deep waters, allowing them to turn into the images I wanted so desperately to see. I put down the bag I had with me from the raid I had just returned from. I pulled out an earring that curled up and attached at the helix part of my ear and suddenly I could hear the words being spoken from the scene on the pond

"Kurama, where could she be?!" Detective yelled, tired from searching for so long.  
"I'm not sure, I guess there is a chance that she returned to the Makai, I haven't been able to sense her since she left." Kurama answered. They were joined by first Hiei, then Kuwabara after.  
"Well?" Hiei asked, a concerned tone that could be mistaken for pissed was there.  
"Nothing." The boys answered.  
"Where the hell is that girl?" Hiei growled.  
"I wonder too, but I still think she went the Makai." Kurama muttered.  
"Damn it! Yukina's in trouble! Where are you Ayame?" Yusuke shouted out.

_Yukina! _I thought, and I swiftly ran towards the nearest tear in space I could find. I found one, surrounded by many low class yokai. At this rate, it would be closed before I could get to it.  
"Move!" I commanded I let my yoki run wild amongst the weaklings, and most of them died. The rest fled. I ran to the hole and jumped through it just before it closed.  
_Those stupid yokai, getting in my way! God, it would be so much more convenient if the door didn't want to close before I got to it!_ I thought in a panic as I leapt through the closing hole in front of me. I landed in a handspring off a tree branch, and then I landed safely on the ground. _This is near where they were a few minutes ago... _I thought as I looked around. I saw the gelled back hair I was looking for. In a matter of milliseconds I had him pinned, my claws to his throat.  
"Where. Is. Yukina." I growled, menacingly. Kuwabara tried to step up and save his friend, but I threw him back with a wave of yoki. Hiei also charged, but was incased in a ball of sand. "I'll ask one more time, Detective. What. Happened. To. Yukina." He gasped for air as I shoved my knee hard into his chest. "WHERE IS SHE?"I shouted.  
"She's been kidnapped..." Kurama said from off to my right, my eyes swiftly flashed over with pain and worry.  
"What?"  
"We don't know who took her, just which they want to meet with you." Yusuke managed to say. I got off him and turned my back to him. I stared at the ground, my hair overshadowed my face. Yusuke got up, and soon as he was standing, I whirled around and punched him hard in the face, sending him through the cage of sand, into Hiei, and out the back of the cage.  
"I will get her back. I will NOT allow anything bad to befall her. Ever!" I yelled.  
_Yukina... I shouldn't have left... I should have stayed... I might have been able to protect you.___


	5. Chapter 5

I went to the place where Yukina was supposed to be held. I was an old, abandoned mansion in the next town over. _I wonder why they would only want to talk to me, though. Surely if they know anything about me, then they would know how powerful I am. To challenge me they must be either really strong... or really stupid... or both._

I came to the entrance of the mansion. It really was run down, with broken windows, and its wood cracked. I opened the front door and walked inside. _Hm... I sense a faint yoki... but there's no way the person behind Yukina's kidnapping is __**this**__ weak. Unless... he must be hiding his true yoki, while only letting enough out for me to be able to follow it to where he's hiding._

I followed the faint yoki up to the third floor. Finally I detected its source coming from a room down the hall. Without any hesitation, I readied myself for the kill and burst through the door with a loud _CRASH!_

Inside there was a lot of dusty furniture, and one large window, which let in moonlight. Standing in front of the window was a tall man with spiky hair, though because of the moonlight, I couldn't tell much more than that. Yukina was nowhere to be seen, so in a movement too fast for the eye to see I grabbed the man by the throat and lunged him down onto the floor, and held him down with my own body. I then had my sand surround his arms and legs, though I didn't crush them... Not **yet**, anyway.

"Where's Yukina?! Answer me now, or I'll kill you!" I shouted. I stared the man in the eye, giving him a deathly glare. Looking at his features, his eyes were a bright crimson, he had black hair, and there were scars all over what skin could be seen. _Come to think of it, he kind of looks like Hiei..._

The man smiled. "Unfortunately I don't have that exact information."

_Does this guy have a death wish or something?_

"Cut the crap! You kidnapped Yukina, and then called me here! Now tell me where she is, before I lose my patience and end your life! And I assure you, it won't be quick. First your limbs will be individually crushed, then I'll open you up and rip out each of your organs."

"You're as terrifying as the rumours say." The man grinned. "But before you get hostile, allow me to introduce myself; my name is Koray, and I called you here because I would like to enter into a partnership with you."

_What an idiot..._ "Sorry, but I'm not interested in anything about partners, or whatever. Just tell me where Yukina is!"

"Hmm... I think some things needs to be cleared up here... First of all, I'm not the one who kidnapped Yukina. You see, I've been watching her a little while now, to make sure she stays safe, but as you already know, she went missing not too long ago."

"An unconvincing story!" I shouted at this Koray guy. "How do I know you're not just making this up to gain my trust?" _Although years of experience taught me not to trust anyone, there's something about this guy that seems familiar... It's not because I'd seen him before, or anything, but something else..._

"Well... I'd prefer if you didn't tell anyone, but I'm Yukina's father." Koray said with another smile.

"What..." I muttered with wide eyes. I let go of my grip on his neck, and the sand that held his limbs weakened. _Yukina's father has been MIA for years... No one ever knew who he was... A trick! This has got to be a trick..._

"If you don't believe me, ask anything you want. I grantee I'll be able to answer." I looked into his eyes.

_This guy isn't lying... He really is Yukina's father. _

I sighed. "That's not necessary... I know you're telling the truth."

Koray smiled. "I knew you'd see the truth." _There it was. That's what's so familiar about him. His eyes are the same as mine... Behind that smile, he's hiding an unbearable amount of pain._

Suddenly I heard footsteps, and then:

"Ayame! Are you alri-" The Detective and his friends appeared in the doorway to the room, but they were staring at me with a weird expression on their faces.

I looked down at the man who was lying underneath me, and then realized what this must look like to them. "OH GOD, NO! I-IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" I shouted as I surrounded both me and Koray with sand and teleported us to another location.

When we arrived in my cave in Makai, the sand released us in the same position we were in before leaving. I quickly jumped off the youkai, and tried to hide the blush on my face. _God, those bakas have bad timing!_

"Well, that was certainly fun." Koray said loudly. "And I'm not talking about the teleporting." He winked.

_THAT'S IT!_ I punched that bastard with every ounce of my strength. He held his ground, and skidded back a few feet. I suppose I would have been impressed, if he hadn't just insulted me. "Talk like that again, and your head comes off, regardless of who you are."

"Sure thing." He said with a smile.

"Now, why don't you finish explaining what you were talking about?" I said in an attempt to change the subject.

"Hm... Yeah, like I said I didn't kidnap Yukina. However, there is no denying that _someone_ kidnapped her. I'm going to find whoever it was, and rescue her, not to mention give those bastards a piece of my mind. And I figured you'd want in on it." Koray explained to me, as he pulled out a cigarette and started to smoke.

"Sounds right... But why did you come to me, and not those four bakas? How did you know about my relationship with her, anyway?" I asked, curious as to what his answer would be.

"As I said before, I've been keeping an eye on Yukina. So naturally, I'd do a background check on what she's been up to. Rumour has it that while she was imprisoned by Tarukane, there was a powerful kitsune who could use sand there protecting her." He said with a smirk. "And of course, I've caught glimpses of you hanging around the temple. It seems quite obvious that for whatever reason you're very protective of her."

"I see..." _This guy is good. Clearly he has skill in gathering information. I wonder how much he's researched into me... And on top of that, to be watching Yukina at the temple without me noticing means he's skilled in stealth. And then when I punched him earlier he showed no sign of pain, and managed to stay on his feet, despite my full-force punch. I suppose that means he's a skilled a fighter... but still..._ "I'm sorry, but I have to decline. I don't work well with other people. Thanks for the info, though. I'll definitely get to work on finding out who has Yukina, but I'll be doing it **alone**."

"That's too bad..." Koray muttered as he breathed out smoke. "I don't really know Yukina as well as you, and considering that I'm just as much a misfit as you are... If I were to get to her first, God knows what I might unknowingly say or do to compromise that _innocence_ she seems to have."

I froze. _He's obviously just making this up to force me into working with him, but he's still right... I can't allow him to get to Yukina first. He certainly has skill to compete with my own, and I'll have to keep tabs on him... and the only way to safely do that would be to team up with him._

"Fine... It seems I have no choice but to accept your offer."

_I know I'll come to regret this later._


	6. Chapter 6

"So, Ayame." Koray said with a mischievous grin, "How about we revise what we had earlier, but with _me _on top."

"Sh-Shut up!" I stuttered awkwardly, and then muttered, "This is why I don't like being around other people…" _How could he be such a pervert! And at a time like this! Who knows what's happening to Yukina, and he's here tormenting me!_

"Awwww, don't be like that Ayame." Koray said, snaking his arm over my shoulder as we walked down the street.

"You know, right now you look like a pedophile and somebody may call the ningen police." I growled curtly. _Why can't he just leave me alone?!_

"Well, you shouldn't be out at night all alone, little girl. And who's to say the police could do anything to me?" Koray gave me a superior smirk.

"I'd use the opportunity to escape and I'd just find Yukina on my own."_ I may have a difficult time getting her to go, and then getting her to adjust… but she'd be okay; safer at least than anywhere else._

"Psh… No fun." Koray sighed, as I shrugged his hand off my shoulder.

"Why did you take me here anyways?" I said, trying to get straight to the point.

"We're just visiting a few old friends of mine. They decided to hide out here. They may be able to help us get some information." Koray smiled darkly. I shuddered, shaken slightly by the sudden switch in demeanour.

_This yokai… he's not sane. Maybe it was smart to come with him; he may of hurt Yukina. But now I'm starting to worry a little bit about __**my**__ safety._

"Whatever you say." I muttered, turning my head away.

******************

Koray kicked the worn door open, almost taking it off its hinges. A hush fell over the group drinking inside. I glared suspiciously at the men, and women, who turned many very angry glares to Koray.

_What could Koray want with this dump?_

"Hello!" Koray said with a bright smile. I walked over to the bar, and knocked the waitress's hand, which had frozen, away from the nozzle as beer began to puddle onto the floor. The glass had overflowed and was dripping to the floor.

Whispers of: 'Its Koray.' 'What's he doing back?' 'Who's that chick with him?' and 'What the hell does he want now?' s erupted from the group and I sent them harsh glares, shutting them up in the majority.

One man stepped forward, and cowered slightly under Koray's gaze.

"W-what do _you_ want here, Fire Yokai." He asked, looking down and shuffling his feet like a little kid afraid of a beating.

_What the hell did he do to these weaklings? They're terrified._

"Just a little bit of harmless information is all." Koray smiled, but glared at the men in the room. Suddenly he pointed out to one, "You, what do you know about the recent kidnapping of a little ice apparition?"

The man Koray pointed at stood up and tried, and failed, to glare at Koray. His knees shaking, he walked over to Koray.

"W-Why should I answer you?!" He yelled out, the terror in his voice clear. Koray frowned slightly. His hand shot out, grasping the man tightly around the neck.

"Because I asked."

Suddenly dark blue flames surrounded the pitiful being and incinerated him until he was nothing but ashes.

I stepped back slightly.

"Does anybody else want to try again?" Koray asked with a sadistic smile. Suddenly everybody started yelling out anything they knew, turning the words in to a barrage of gibberish.

_This man… Isn't stable… no wonder all of these yokai are terrified of him. I hate to admit it… but I'm happy he's on my side. I highly doubt that's his full potential… But I'll ever let him know that._

My eyes caught a hunched yokai trying to escape through the back door and a hush fell and a loud scream was heard as my sand wrapped tightly around his lower body. The mass of yokai split to avoid contact with my sand as I dragged the yokai back towards me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Koray watching me curiously.

I hung the man upside down in front of me by one of his legs and crouched down so we could see eye to eye.

"Hello." I said flatly, with a cruel smile spread slightly across my lips. He stared, terrified, at me, and my look hardened. I made the sand tighten painfully around his leg and I repeated myself in a very condescending tone, "I said **hello,** you said hello back." The terrified being nodded his head at a rapid pace, stuttering out a pathetic greeting. "Good, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" after a pause I growled, "I asked you a question fool."

"Y-yes ma'am! I mean, N-no ma'am, uh, uh, uh…" The man was clearly panicking and I knew I could use it to my advantage. I glared.

"Now, here's what I see. I see somebody trying to sneak away after a very important question is asked. So I think to myself. Oh, that looks kinda suspicious. Do you agree?"

"Y-ye-yes ma'am!" he struggled. His face was turning red, the blood not having anywhere else to flow.

"Good. Now that makes me think. Oh, he knows something." I gave the pitiful being a sweet smile, "So now you'll tell me everything you know," I tightened the sand even more as my look darkened, "**right?**"

"Ah!" the man gasped, "A-All I know is this friend of a friend of mine, he was sayin that there were these two real, real strong guys, and they were gunna hold a tournament for this little ice wrench, Yui or Yuna or somethin like that…"

"Yukina…" I muttered.

"Yea! Y-Yukina! That's right! B-but these two strong guys are gunna hold this tournament and the ice wrench'll be the prize. They're after that Urameshi kid that everybody's been talkin bout, or some of his companions or somethin!"

"Good… You get a sandy gold star for your good work!" I smiled, tilting my head slightly, and he gasped, blood flying out of his mouth and dripping down into his eyes. A big star, made of sand of course, was protruding from both sides of his chest.

"W-why..?" he gasped.

"You called my Yukina a wrench… **Twice**. Of course I can't let you get away with that." I smiled as the sandy star spread over his limbs, and then crushing them. He screamed out, not quite dead, and with the wave of my hand he was tossed like a ragdoll at Koray, who instinctively knocked him away into a wall, using so much force that he was literally broken into two.

"I think that will do for today…" Koray said, smiling as he wiped some of the blood smears off his face; I nodded and walked towards Koray, turning around when I reached his side.

"Oh, and I am Ayame." I said, giving a curt bow. "Thank you for your time." Koray grinned as he put his arm over my shoulder again, and I just glared up at him.

"You're too nice to these scumbags."

"It's called manners, and if you ever want a girlfriend I suggest you use them." I said. After a pause I sighed, "It was supposed to be a joke."

"You really need to learn about voice tones…" Koray sighed, as he turned around and walked out the door. "And I'm happy that you're warming up to me."

"Shut up…" I muttered as I followed, leaving the destroyed bar behind.

_What is with me… I feel so off… I mean, I got some information on Yukina but… Why am I starting to feel like I'll probably stay with Koray… even after I get Yukina back? Somebody help me…_


End file.
